Infant mattress with heating and ticking mechanisms



Dec. 20, 1966 BELKIN 3,292,611

INFANT MATTRESS WITH HEATING AND TICKING MECHANISMS Filed Nov. 19, 1963 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,292,611 INFANT MATTRESS WITH HEATING AND TICKING MECHANISMS Leonard Belkin, Smithtown, N.Y., assignor of one-fourth to Arnold Belkin and one-fourth to Stanley Bclkin, both of New York, N.Y.

Filed Nov. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 324,645 1 Claim. (Cl. 128-1) The present invention relates to a distracting arrangement for an infant and more particularly to a mattress or similar devices equipped with provision to distract or pacify an infant child.

Parents of a new child are sometimes forced to endure a baby who is seemingly disturbed or agitated for no apparent reason. Some experts in this area contend that an infant has a crying spell each day or a period in which nervous energy is being expended by crying. While this opinion is speculative, no doubt, there are very few parents who have not been at one time faced with such a situation and would not like to be able to distract the child and keep him quiet. A crying child is quite disturbing especially if the crying occurs during the night.

Because an infant is incapable of much movement and toys are not sufficient to keep the child busy unless someone is present to play with the child or incur his attention by waving or shaking the toy, it has been practically an insurmountable problem to provide a way of pacifying a newborn infant without being present.

I have found that a newborn infant can sometimes be quieted by exposing the child to sounds which resemble that of a heartbeat. While placing a ticking, mechanical clock next to the child does sometimes temporarily have a limited beneficial result, I have found that placing the baby on an object incorporating a ticking, pulsating mechanism frequently Works remarkably well to pacify him and seemingly absorb his attention endlessly, and in addition aids in causing the child to fall asleep.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, a ticking mechanism is incorporated into a mattress or similar davice so that the baby is not only pacified by the sounds which he hears but also by the faint throbbing effect felt by his body as a result of his contact with the mattress. The appropriate use of heat in addition enhances the effect on the child. This arrangement which I prefer to call a fetal mattress because of the similarity between it and the mothers heartbeat experienced by the fetus in the womb appears to distract the baby from his crying or agitation provided the child is not under any actual physical discomfort or pain.

It is thus a first object of this invention to provide an arrangement for distracting an infant too young to be provided with toys.

It is a further object to pacify an infant by exposing him to a simulated heartbeat and external heat.

Another object is the provision of a mattress equipped with a device to tick or throb for distracting the baby in contact therewith.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become obvious from the following descrip- "ice tion of preferred embodiments of this invention taken with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment with a crib mattress and FIG. 2 shows an alternative arrangement for an infant seat.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a crib or other suitable bed 10 somewhat schematically supporting a mattress 12 upon which reposes an infant 14 covered by a blanket 16. It will be noted that the head 18 and arm 22 of infant 14 are shown extending from blanket 16. Within mattress 12 is mounted in suitable fashion, and preferably directly on a wood member 24, a clock or ticking mechanism 26 with a winding stem and knob 28 extending out the side of mattress 12 for winding. The ticking mechanism should preferably be located directly beneath the child. It is understood, of course, that ticking mechanism 26 may be electrically or otherwise automatically and remotely energized. A heating unit 32 with a coil 54 and external leads 36 and 38 may be utilized along with ticking mechanism 26 to radiate or emit heat which when sensed by child 14 would aid in inducing the latter to fall asleep or otherwise become quieted. A polished reflector 39 may be used to direct the radiant energy at infant 18.

The ticking device should along with the heating element be located directly 'beneath the child and in relatively close proximity to each other to permit mattress 12 to appear as a throbbing, heated body to simulate somewhat, the Warm, alive body of the mother.

An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 2 illustrating an infant seat 40 consisting of a bent or shaped supporting member 42 for infant 44 and a side panel 46. Ticking mechanism 26 with winding knob 28 may be mounted below and to member 42.

It is thus seen that there has been provided apparatus for distracting an infant too young to be occupied by toys or otherwise kept occupied. While preferred embodiments have been illustrated and described it is understood that this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

Apparatus for tranquilizing an infant reposing on a mattress comprising a mattress and means within said mattress emitting ticking sounds simulating a heart beat and means adjacent to the aforesaid means for generating heat, the latter said means including a reflector to direct said heat to a portion of said mattress directly beneath the area upon which the infant normally reposes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,859,731 11/1958 Sutton.

2,932,821 4/ 1960 Horton.

3,103,219 9/1963 Chadner 128-399 3,137,092 6/1964 ,Salerno 1281 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

SIMON BRODER, Examiner. 

